Subject: Re: Hard tack

From: [email-masked] (What me worry?)
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 17:32:08 GMT

Norman Miller ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I'm not sure whether "hard tack" refers to a specific food or whether
: it's a class of semi-permanent jaw-breakers.  Information please, 
: especially recipes.

: Norman Miller
: [email-masked]

Hardtack is basically a simple biscuit, and along with bacon, 
was virtually a staple of the 1800's in the frontier, and during 
the civil war. 

Flour, water, and some bacon grease, a little salt if you had any. 
Usually cooking in bacon grease or lard, in a iron pan. 

You could cook up a bunch of it, carry it for a few days, nibbling as 
your belly demanded. And, in a pinch, you could use it as a weapon. :)

Some variations included mixing in cooked bacon, or salted port, or 
imitating the indians' pemican by stuffing the dough with jerked meat,
before cooking. 

------------------------------------------------------------------
Lars 
[email-masked]     or        [email-masked]
and remember, Wavy Gravy sez, "If you lose your sense of humor,
                               it's just not funny, anymore."
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From: [email-masked] (tihor2)
Date: 4 Jun 1994 05:25:06 GMT

What me worry? ([email-masked]) wrote:
: Norman Miller ([email-masked]) wrote:
: : I'm not sure whether "hard tack" refers to a specific food or whether
: : it's a class of semi-permanent jaw-breakers.  Information please, 
: : especially recipes.

Back home in Newfoundland Hard tack was sold in the supermarket and as 
far as I know it still is, and can all so be found in other parts of NE 
Canada. I think it came in a 1kg bag, so I don't think you would be wise 
to mail it but a friend might bring some back in their luggage. It is 
rather tasteless but a good carrier, broken in to small bits, for butter 
or jam, and if you have good teeth or flat roacks around a good thing to 
take walking. It is all so used for baby teething biskets .